After The Ban, Build

July 24, 1989

Now that the Newport News Planning Commission has acted to stomp out the menace of backyard skateboard ramps, maybe the city will turn its attention to building a public facility for the sport. Norfolk and Virginia Beach have them, and one is soon to open in Hampton.

Skateboarding, in case Newport News officials had not noticed, is popular. Very popular. Kids with skateboards are everywhere: parking lots, sidewalks, streets. Those who wanted to build a backyard ramp to avoid the risk of getting hit by a car have now been hit by the Planning Commission.

This is not to make light of the decision to ban backyard ramps. The zoning ordinance is probably needed because the ramps are too noisy for residential areas. Without a ban, you'd see more ramps and more neighborhood disputes.

But again, the law is needed precisely because the sport is so popular.

Maybe, with a little help from their constituents, members of the City Council can be persuaded to dip into the proposal to spend $7 million for another downtown revitalization plan and find enough money to build two or three skateboard parks up and down the length of the city.